Housing injustice is a national emergency in Ireland. We need a sustainable solution to the crisis. The provision of state owned rental housing on a large scale, on a non profit basis, would go a long way toward solving the problem. This would provide secure, affordable, high quality rental housing for anyone who needs it, no matter what your income is. Fair Rent Homes would mean that: - 70,000 households would be provided with a home, at a fair rent, for life - a pool of high quality, Fair Rent Homes would be there, owned by the nation, for future generations, instead of spending billions on rent subsidies to private landlords - pressure would be put on the private rental sector to improve standards and provide fairer rents in order to compete with Fair Rent Homes

According to the latest IPCC report, the next twelve years are crucial for action on climate change. There are four ambitious climate and environmental Bills which have been brought by Opposition Parties to the Dail. If the government truly wants to make Ireland a leader on climate change, it should support the passage of these Bills immediately. These are - The Climate Emergency Measures Bill (Bríd Smith PBP) - The Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill (Sinn Fein) - The Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill (Green Party) - The Waste Reduction Bill (Green Party) This is a simple ask. These are all sensible Bills which will move Ireland towards being a cleaner, greener and fairer place to live. We have no time to wait. #ClimateActionNow

It’s one of 9 local authorities not to drawn down any funding allocated for it to provide the accommodation. Over €1.2 million in funding earmarked for the provision of the accommodation has gone unspent.

Since the economic crash in 2008 hundreds of thousands of Irish people have been affected by financial legal issues which can end up in court proceedings. There are currently 20,000 cases for repossession in the Irish Courts. With a typical family of 5 that is over 100,000 people. Some experts say 250,000 - 500,000 are affected by potential repossession in Ireland. While every criminal in Ireland from the petty thief to the rapist, murderer, drug dealer and maybe even Bankers in criminal proceedings are entitled to legal aid, Civil Legal aid is only available for family law issues in Ireland. People in financial difficulty have to try and represent themselves or, just not go to Court at all and lose their homes by default, without a defence being put forward. Article 47 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights says everyone is entitled to be advised and represented if the legal issue involves EU law, but this is not implemented in Irish law and Judges appear not to have jurisdiction to grant legal aid in Civil Cases. I have an Application to the Irish Supreme Court in relation to the availability of legal aid, pending permission to Appeal since September 2017 and ready for a determination since May 2018, but no Determination has been forthcoming to-date. Minister, please introduce legislation to make civil legal aid available to the tens of thousands of people in the Courts in repossession proceedings and, make the Supreme Court more transparent in how and when, it makes it Determinations. A sequential list of applications ready for determination should be available publicly on the internet and, sequentially allocated a Determination hearing on a first come first served basis with the schedules for Determinations publicly available on the internet.

There is a housing crisis in Dublin and across the country and communities need affordable homes. Construction should have begun in 2017 but still nothing has happened. 3500 new homes could be built there but the City is still waiting. Aproposed development on the old IGB site will be a game changer for this area and the Ministers lack of decisive action by him and his Department on this ,alter may lead to this development going ahead without the promised 900 social and affordable homes. Please do the right thing and bring affordable homes to Dublin and Ringsend.

Rents in Ireland are at an all-time high, with the national average standing at €1,334 a month. Yet even these staggering figures don’t tell the whole story, because many tenants are being charged additional upfront fees by letting agents and extortionate deposits equal to two or three times the monthly rent. This is a brutal and exploitative way of screening renters with the result that low-income workers and social welfare recipients are effectively locked out of the market. Scotland successfully banned letting agent fees in 2012 and England and Wales are set to do the same early next year, and also introduce a cap on deposits. The Dublin Tenants’ Association is demanding the same from our Government. Sign the petition to show your support!

Monaghan County Council could be fined because it hasn’t spent any Government funding on traveller accommodation. It’s one of 9 local authorities not to drawn down any funding allocated for it to provide the accommodation, Longford and Westmeath are also included. Over €1.2 million in funding earmarked for the provision of the accommodation has gone unspent.

Dublin City Council are set to bulldoze the Weaver Square Community Garden & Family Allotments from 31st December 2018. This is a serious concern for ALL residents of Dublin 8: 1. Dublin 8 is being subjected to an onslaught of short-term, high-density property development (Hotels, student accommodation) at the expense of the existing community. Over 2000 such units have been constructed in 2018 in this district alone. 2. Dublin 8, a high-density urban community, has the lowest amount of green space per m2 in Dublin. Now it will have even less! 3. This is the latest Dublin 8 community resource lost to property development in 12 months. We have already lost Dublin Food Co-Op, Green Door Market & Flea Markets. There is also uncertainty over the future of Meath St, Liberty Market, St Theresas & now Players Wills site developments. 4. DCC are reneging on written commitments to keep the Weaver Square community garden/allotments. 5. There are alternative vacant DCC sites that could be used for development without destroying this valuable Green Space. 6. Over 300 people benefit directly from the community garden & allotments on a weekly basis. These social, health, environmental & educational benefits will stop on 31st December. The garden & allotments are used by schools, pensioners, community groups & families.

The public Markievicz leisure centre, managed by the DCC, is the only available in Dublin City Centre with a 25mt swimming pool. Thousands use this public pool and gym. Local children learn to swim there. On top, up to 150 people could lose their homes because the apartments above the pool will also be demolished with the current project. There is already a housing crisis in the city.

Many tenants are being evicted because landlord currently can prevent a further Part 4 tenancy. We are in the middle of a Housing Emergency, there is no reason why a tenant should not be allowed security of tenure if the aren't in breach of their obligations as set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.

The top nine reasons why this is important is 1) We do not want to lose the SDCC depot as this will severely erode the ability to maintain the high standards within the park thereby threatening our Green Flag status 2) We will lose the precious and unique urban farm that delights children 3) We will lose the socially inclusive community garden 4) We will lose the St John of God garden that provides horticultural therapy for people with various disabilities 5) The highly invasive Giant Knotweed is present on the site. The proposal to move it is dangerous and reckless as Whitestown Stream runs parallel to the proposed building site 6) We will lose the last remains of a 200 year old bridge that should be a protected structure 7) Every inch of Sean Walsh Park is an Objective OS zoned area i.e.to preserve and provide for open space and recreational amenities (as set out in the SDCC Development Plan 2016-2022) 8) Putting old peoples homes beside Tallaght Stadium which hosts matches regularly and will host concerts represents extremely poor planning 9) There is at least one more appropriate site available in Tallaght for the proposed Cluid development that would not not cause any of the foregoing problems and issues. *If you wish to support our offline please email info@litter-mugs.og with your name and address* See why Sean Walsh Park should be preserved from property development: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MpP7Osf3YYo

Drug Policy, and the war on drugs has had children, parents, politicians and stranger murdered in broad daylight. Thanks to gang activity, I myself shake and fear at the noise of bangers going off. The entire country lives in fear of gangs, gangs fed through drug money, drug money coming from the "black market". Little do they realise that the failing drug policy, the politicians and their lobbyists are directly financing this through their stern, "moral" views on dirty drugs. It is absolutely unacceptable. I am sick & tired of burying my friends and lending their brokenhearted families a soaking shoulder to cry on because the government failed them. The governmental position on drugs, the policy set in place in the early 1970's, has absolutely failed them. Where were you when they found their bodies, that nobody heard of because the news would rather report the stash of Class A narcotics they found in a shed, behind a burnt out house and a car filled with hand guns and machetes. Where were you and where are you now? What are you going to do to change this? My name is Sandy Brun, I am a qualified Toxicologist and I hope to graduate with a Master's degree in Neuroscience & Pharmacology. You can find me on LinkedIn. I am sick and tired of burying my friends with dirty drugs in their veins, up their noses and everywhere else. I am sick and tired of being let down by this never ending agonizing political situation that is murdering my friends and breaking the hearts of their families. I've lived in Ireland since I was 10 years old, and I've buried a friend every year since I was 13. You're so proud of the 100th 1916 Easter Rising anniversary that the country celebrated 2 years ago. You're so damn proud to be Irish. You're so damn prejudicial and soft. Stand and fight. For our sons and daughters.